Michael Corwin’s Post

Transcript

California employers, I've got one question for you. Are you ready? Look, there's not a lot of time. California's new workplace violence prevention law goes into effect on July 1st, 2024, and you can face penalties if you don't implement A workplace violence prevention program by that date. As part of this requirement, employers must develop procedures to identify and evaluate workplace violence hazards. In this video, I'll walk you through three ways that you can use to identify and evaluate workplace violence hazards. To help you prepare a workplace violence prevention program that keeps your employees safer while complying with this new law. Hi, I'm Mike Corwin, and for over 10 years, I've helped businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies implement workplace violence prevention programs. I've based my approach to Workplace. Violence Prevention upon the knowledge I gained during decades spent investigating workplace violence related incidents for attorneys want to get a jump on complying with the new Workplace Violence Prevention Law. I've got a great tool to help you prepare for the new law. It's my free Workplace Violence Prevention Checklist. The checklist is broken down into the different steps that you'll need to cover as a result of California's new law. You can download it by clicking on the link in the description below. Here's where to begin to identify and evaluate workplace violence hazards. The California law puts a major emphasis on employers involving their employees. In the workplace violence prevention planning process. And you know what? That's right. That's exactly where employers should start. Begin by surveying employees for their input on the risks to their safety. Here are some questions to ask in your employee survey. Have you experienced a threat of violence while working? Describe the circumstances surrounding this threat, including who was involved, where this occurred, such as at work. Out in the community, in a parking lot, or on the street or at another location, what factors contributed to your feeling threatened? What was the person's relationship to work? Who was involved in causing you to feel that your safety was threatened? Was it a client? A co-worker? Patient. Family member? Was it a stranger? Did the physical environment increase your sense of vulnerability from violence? If so, how? What do you think could be done to prevent this from happening again? Do you feel that you have adequate support when it comes to your safety? And finally, what things can be done overall to improve safety from workplace violence? Next, identify which of the four sources of workplace violence poses a risk to your staff. This can be done as part of an employee survey or these can be identified by the employer using knowledge of the staff's work. California identifies 4 main types of workplace violence sources. Knowing which ones may affect your staff will help you to focus your workplace violence prevention program to your specific needs. Does your staff handle money? Is your work performed in a high crime area? Then you need to consider an approach that addresses violence. From those who commit crimes, Does your staff meet with clients, customers, patients, or vendors? Then you're prevention plan should address these types of invitees, including if your staff performs work out in the community with these people, such as visiting homes or businesses. Then you also want to consider those environments and the people within them as part of your prevention program. How likely are there to be instances of current or former employees, supervisors or managers making threats or engaging in violence? Then you need to incorporate this into your plan as well. And finally, is your staff at risk from domestic violence? From friends, families, exes? Then you should incorporate this risk into your prevention plan, including how your staff can communicate their fears to you before an incident occurs. Then assess the physical environment. This next process can be performed via a walk through of the premises. For employees that work in the community, have them describe the places they work related to these following safety factors. Begin with the parking lot or parking garage. Look at the existing lighting and the pathways that lead to and from the parking area to your building. Can a member of the public just walk right up to the parking area? Are there obstructions like dumpsters, columns, shrubbery that one impede? Movement two, block the view or three, offer a hiding place? If so, document those. Next, look at the entryways and exits and the locations exteriors. Are they well lit? Is there a controlled or monitored access? And what method is used to see who enters your location as you look at the exterior of the building? Look for shrubs, things like promotional posters that can obstruct the windows, preventing people from inside seeing a potential threat that's outside. Next, look at the flow of the interior, starting with the reception area. Is the reception person isolated from other employees? Can other employees see the reception area? Is there a path to safety for the person working at reception, and what communication methods are in place for the reception person to notify others of a possible threat? Next, examine the location of any places where individuals will meet with your staff, such as conference rooms, office meetings, exam rooms. Is it possible that your staff can be trapped by these people within that location? And does your staff have a way of communicating a threat? Next, look for interim hiding places, places where your staff can go if an emergency occurs. Are there such locations where they can go to and go too quickly? When combined together, these three approaches will help you to assess the most likely types of workplace violence hazards that you're that are specific to your organization. To your staff and they will help you to identify what changes you need to make to lessen the risk of a workplace violence incident. Important to conduct these assessments when you first start to develop your workplace violence prevention plan and program and then implement those changes. Once you have implemented those changes, do a follow up assessment and see if you still need to do anything more or if the changes you've made were in effect. Helpful. So make sure that you do a follow up of it and you should do that. If there are any other incidents Ready to get started developing A workplace violence prevention program? I've got a great tool for California employers to use to help you prepare for the new law. It's my Free Workplace Violence Prevention Checklist. The checklist is broken down into the different steps that you'll need to cover in order to comply with California's new law. You can download it. By clicking on the link in the description below.